Teardrops on my guitar
by hedgehoginajumper
Summary: Cinderpaw is given a new warrior, Fireheart, as her mentor, and everything goes well at first. But soon she starts getting strange feelings for Fireheart, and when she is injured on the thunderpath, everything comes to an end. Or does it? Cinder/Fire Fire/Sand fluff, angst
1. New apprentice

Cinderpaw excitedly jumped up and raced out of her den, going to wake Fireheart up for training. She bolted across camp to the warriors' den and went inside without stopping, tripping over and waking Darkstripe.

He jumped, hissing ferociously. "Watch it, you stupid kit!"

The excitement faded from Cinderpaw's eyes when she was reminded of her size. She was six moons, but was still the size of a young kit. She recoiled, flattening her ears. Darkstripe raised his paw to smack the small cat, when Fireheart woke and saw his apprentice in danger. He jumped up and sprang at Darkstripe, knocking him over.

"Is that any way to treat my apprentice?" he hissed, spitting all over Darkstripe's face. The old warrior flinched slightly and bit Fireheart's paw, earning him a slap in the face. "Listen, mouse-brain," Fireheart hissed under his breath. "Do that one more time and I _will _rip your pelt off."

Darkstripe laughed. "You? A_ kittypet!_"

Fireheart bristled with fury. A low growl erupted from his throat, and he raked Darkstripe across the shoulder. The other warrior hissed in pain and threw Fireheart off with ease. "Yeah, yeah, kit." He growled. "You've made your point, now get out! Take your stupid apprentice as well."

Fireheart glared at him for a moment before turning back to Cinderpaw. "Come on," he meowed, creeping out silently. Cinderpaw followed, trying to mimic her mentor's swift movements. Surprisingly, she did well, which earned her a purr of affection from Fireheart. Her eyes gleamed with pride, feeling more exited and eager to impress Fireheart. After all, today was her first training session!

"Fireheart," she meowed happily. "Fireheart, where are we going? Invading ShadowClan, hunting owls, fighting badgers?! Maybe we can-"

"Cinderpaw, calm down!" Fireheart laughed. "No we are not going to invade ShadowClan, hunt owls, or fight any badgers today. I'm taking you to Fourtrees."

Cinderpaw had to admit that even though it wasn't as great as fighting badgers, but it seemed fun anyways. For some reason, as long as she was with Fireheart, anything seemed fun. The thought had come across her more than once; _was she falling in love with her mentor?_

Cinderpaw shook her head to get rid of those thoughts and looked back at her new mentor and friend. She nodded and bounded ahead, feeling the breeze in her fur, whipping it into her face. A leaf landed on her nose, and she batted at her face. It drifted off and she hissed playfully, looking up at Fireheart happily. "Hey, slow poke!" she laughed, and Fireheart raced up to her.

"We're almost there, Cinder," he meowed touching noses with his apprentice. Cinderpaw's mind was spinning with thoughts. _Did mentors touch noses with their apprentices often? Why did she have a nickname? Why was she getting this strange feeling whenever Fireheart looked at her? Did Fireheart return her feelings?_


	2. Love maybe?

Cinderpaw had been training for 3 moons. She felt like a whole new cat now, with all her battle skills and amazing ability to track down prey. She knew that with just a few more moons of training, she would be able to become warrior, and now was her time to show off for Fireheart.

"Hey, Fire," she purred in a soft tone, brushing by her mentor. "Wanna get some training done?"

Fireheart looked at her, confused at her tone. "Um, Cinderpaw," he meowed. "Did you have too much Catnip?"

Cinderpaw laughed and shook her head. "No, silly! I want to train, or I'll never become a warrior!" She looked Fireheart in the eyes. "pleeeeeeaase?"

Fireheart just nodded and smiled, giving in to her adorable kitten eyes. Whenever Fireheart looked into them, he felt something, a warm feeling, stirring inside him. Always, he tried to stop himself from having this feeling, but it was no use. No matter what he did, he would always feel this way about Cinderpaw.

_'I wonder if she likes me too," _He would think, looking at her as the gray apprentice dug a small hole in the ground. _"I hope she does."_

And she did.

But nobody knew. No, she had decided not to tell anyone, not even Brackenpaw, her own brother. She couldn't bear to see how he would react. She imagined him screaming that she was a disgrace to the family, that no honorable cat was foolish enough to fall in love with her mentor. She sometimes even believed her own thoughts, telling herself Fireheart would never love her back. It was hopeless for Cinderpaw, knowing she could never be with the one she loved.

This didn't stop her from dreaming, no. I mean, everyone can dream, right? Dreams are fantasies, which bring the most impossible things alive. Cinderpaw's favorite thing to do was dream, because in that world she and Fireheart were together. Inseparable. They lived as mates, all the other cats enying them for having such a great relationship. But that was just a dream, a fantasy which would never come true. And all good things came to an end, even love. The bittersweet love that Cinderpaw and Fireheart shared was just too much for fate to bring together. _No, _Cinderpelt decided. They would never be together, at least not in real life.

"Fireheart," she meowed quietly, her eyes narrowed. "I don't know what to do, now that I've learned so much," she looked at her paws, shifting them uncomfortably. "D-do you think I can be made warrior soon?"

Fireheart's eyes brightened. "Of course, Cinder," he purred, touching his tail to her shoulder lightly. "You'll be the finest warrior Thunderclan has ever seen."

Cinderpelt smiled, thoughts of their relationship forgotten. She nodded and followed her mentor and best friend out of camp.

...

Graystripe pushed through the tall grass, tasting the air occasionally. No sign of Silverstream anywhere. He began to worry something had happened to her on the way over, but stayed calm, waiting for her sweet smell to seep through the grass.

"Hey Graystripe," said a voice behind him. He turned to see Silverstream sitting on the other side of the clearing, her grayish white fur flowing beautifully. "Come here, but quietly. There's something you need to see."

Graystripe nodded, still dazed, and silently crept through the ferns. When he got to Silverstream, she smiled and licked his nose affectionately. "Look at your friend," she purred, looking out to the meadow. Graystripe looked too, and saw his best friend Fireheart rolling in the grass with his apprentice. The two giggled loud enough to scare off a twoleg, Fireheart hissing playfully and running off towards the stream. "Catch me if you can!" He shouted.

Cinderpaw raced after him, her blue eyes glowing. "Oh, I'll catch you alright!"

Silvertream sighed happily and looked back at Graystripe. "Looks as if he's finally found love," she whispered.

Graystripe's eyes lit up in amusement. "I always knew they'd be good together," he meowed, cuddling up next to Silverstream. "I love you."

Silvertream licked his forehead. "I love you too, Graystripe." The two sat curled up together in the shadowy forest, the heat of each other's fur keeping them warm. Graystipe loved Silverstream, and Silverstream loved him. He really couldn't be happier. The though of Firheart came over him, and he prayed to StarClan silently that he was happy.

...

It was getting dark, and the two tired out cats padded back to camp, prey clamped tightly inside their jaws. Cinderpaw was still smiling as Fireheart dragged behind, panting. "Fmon!" she meowed, the fur of the vole muffling her words. "Thyarherth, hurr uth!"

Fiereheart dropped his prey and laughed. "What did you say?"

Cinderpelt threw her vole at the ground in fake frustration. "I said hurry up, slowpoke!"

Fireheart laughed happily and picked up his prey again, racing ahead. Cinderpelt's eyes widened at the sudden change in speed of her mentor, and started running as well. She laughed and threw her head in the air, smelling the pines of the forest. This was home, she decided. This was the place where she had found love.


End file.
